Cigarette machine



Nov. 11, 1947.

B. BURNS CIGARETTE MACHINE Filed Sept. 1l, 1945 IN VEN-rol? Patented Nov. 11, 1947 NITED STATIES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE MACHINE Bruce Burns, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 11, 1945, Serial No. 615,660

(Cl. ISL-75) 3 Claims.

This invention relates in general to the manufacture of cigarettes, and is in particular directed to the manufacture of individual cigarettes by means of a portable machine, and to a method for the use thereof.

The invention has as an object to provide a cigarette machine which may be conveniently carried on the operators person, for convenient and repeated use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cigarette machine which will make a Wellpacked, smoothly cylindrical cigarette. It is a further object to provide such a machine to which a conventional sack of cigarette tobacco can be attached and left in place until the tobacco carried therein is entirely used in making cigarettes, the tobacco being protected from loss by leakage until it is so used.

Fur-ther objects and advantages will be evident hereinafter, from the following description of one embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawing corresponding thereto, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in vertical longitudinal section, of a cigarette machine embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the cigarette machine taken along the axis of 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig, 3 is an end View of the cigarette machine, taken along the axis 3--3 of Fig. l and showing a container for tobacco;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a plunger and terminal cap as hereinafter described;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a plug, a rammer, and a terminal cap, as hereinafter described;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the cigarette machine, a

portion thereof being in section on a plane delined by the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary and enlarged side view of a portion ci the cigarette machine during operation;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the cigarette machine taken along the axis 3--3 of Fig. 6, showing in phantom two fingers of an operator holding the paper on the feed tube, as hereinafter described; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary and enlarged side view of a portion of the cigarette machine during a phase of operation following the phase illustrated in Fig. 7.

The machine consists of a body II having a tobacco-receiving receptacle I2 formed therein. Extending coaxially with each other are a plunger cylinder i3 and a rammer cylinder I4, the term cylinder in this connection denoting a cylindrical opening. The plunger cylinder I3 has ringer openings I5 and I6 in the sides thereof. rThe tobacco receptacle IZ has a lip 2l .with a groove 22 extending therearound, the open'mouth oi a tobacco sack 23 being secured around this lip 2l by drawing a string 24, provided with this sack, tight in the groove 22 so that tobacco from the sack can readily ll the receptacle I2.

Sliding in the plunger cylinder I3 is a plunger 3Q, which has a diameter suiciently smaller than the internal diameter of the cylinder I3 to allow the plunger with cigarette paper wrapped therearound to be inserted in the cylinder, as hereinafter explained. The plunger 30 is equipped at its outer end with a head 3|, and the plunger issecured against loss to the body II by a cord 32 which is attached at one end to the plunger 30 and at the other end lto the body II, as shown in Fig. 1. Secured in the body II between the receptacle I2 and the plunger cylinder I3 is a tube 33 having an external diameter slightly less than the diameter of the plunger 30. The end of the plunger 36 has a portion 34 of reduced diameter which enters the tube 33 when the plunger 30 is inserted in the cylinder I3.

A rammer 40 slides in the rammer cylinder I4 and is provided with a head 4I having a serrated end 42 which is larger in diameter than the rammer. An outer head 53 is attached t the rammer 40 after the rammer is assembled in place in the device. The end 42 ts rather closely but readily slides in the tube 33, as shown in Fig. 7.

The method of operation of the device is as follows:

The sack 23 of tobacco 53 is secured about the lip ZI and remains in place until the tobacco is used up in making cigarettes, being carried in the pocket of the user so attached to the body Il. Tobacco sacks made of fabric commonly sold to users have the draw string 24 supplied therewith. The tobacco 50 readily fills the receptacle I2.

When the user desires to make a cigarette, he removes the plunger 30 from the cylinder I3 and rolls a sheet 6D of cigarette paper around the plunger 3U, as shown in Fig. 4, wetting the paper to form a tube 3| of paper the size of the desired cigarette. He then inserts the plunger 30 with the tube 6I therearound into the cylinder I3. He then pushes the end of the tube 6I over the tube 33, which projects into the cylinder I3 far enough to permit this to be done, the tube 6I being so moved by grasping it lightly with the lingers through the openings Iii and I6. After the tube 6I is in place on the tube 33, it is tightly grasped with the fingers of one hand, as shown in Fig. 8,

the plunger 30 is released from all restraint, and the tube 6| is filled with tobacco, using the rammer 40.

In filling the tube 6I With tobacco 50, the rammer is iirst pulled outwardly from the body Il, allowing the tobacco 5U to enter the space between the head 4| and the tube 33. When the rammer 46 is then pushed into the body Il, the tobacco 58 is forced through the tube 33 into the paper tube 6l, the paper being held by the ngers of the user against axial displacement. The plunger is forced out of the tube 6l by the tobacco 50 as the tobacco is forced into the tube 6|, the tobacco being compacted by the plunger 30 t0 form a flat end for the finished cigarette. The ramming operation above described is repeated until the tube 6I is completely filled With Well compacted tobacco, and the plunger 3U is entirely driven out of the tube 6l and the cylinder I3 is left dangling by the cord 32. Using the iinger openings l5 and Iii, the nished cigarette can be slid axially out of the cylinder I3 and will be found to be smooth, cylindrical, and Well packed. The plunger 30 is then replaced in its original position.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cigarette machine comprising: a body having a tobacco receptacle formed therein and having a cylindrical plunger passage with an internal diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the desired cigarette adapted to receive a plunger, and having a cylindrical rammer passage adapted to receive a rammer, said passages being coaxial with each other, said rammer passage being in open communication at one end with said receptacle; an eduction tube in said plunger passage, said tube having an outer diameter somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the paper tube for enclosing the desired cigarette, said eduction tube connecting one end of said plunger passage with said receptacle, and one end of said eduction tube projecting into said plunger passage, there being two primary finger openings in said body at either side oi said eduction tube s0 placed that the paper tube for enclosing the desired cigarette can be held in place over the eduction tube by the iingers of the user; a plunger sliding freely in and out of said plunger passage, said plunger having a diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the paper r tube whichV will enclose the desired cigarette; and a rammer sliding in said rammer passage and of sufcient length to force tobacco out of said receptacle and through said eduction tube into said paper tube.

2. A cigarette machine comprising: a body having a tobacco receptacle formed therein and having a cylindrical plunger passage with an internal diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter oi the desired cigarette adapted to receive a plunger, and having a cylindrical rammer passage adapted to receive a rammer, said passages being coaxial with each other, said rammer passage being in open communication at one end with said receptacle; an eduction tube in said plunger passage, said tube having an outer diameter somewhat smallel` than the inside diameter of the paper tube for enclosing the desired cigarette, said eduction tube connecting one end of said plunger passage with said receptacle, and

4 one end of said eduction tube projecting into said plunger passage, there being two primary nger openings in said body at either side of said eduction tube so placed that the paper tube for enclosing the desired ciragette can be held in place over the eduction tube by the fingers 0f the user; a plunger sliding freely in and out of said plunger passage, said plunger having a diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the paper tube which will enclose the desired cigarette, there being secondary iinger openings in said body so placed that the iingers of the user may grasp said paper tube as it surrounds said plunger and force it over the projecting end of said eduction tube; and a rammer sliding in said rammer passage and of sufficient length to force .tobacco out of said receptacle and through said eduction tube into said paper tube. i

3. A cigarette machine comprising: a body having a tobacco receptacle formed therein and having a cylindrical plunger passage with an internal diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the desired cigarette adapted .to receive a plunger, and having a cylindrical rammer passage adapted to receive a rammer, said passages being coaxial with each other, said rammer passage being in open communication at one end with said receptacle, said body having a tobacco supplying opening into said receptacle; a lip surrounding said tobacco supplying opening, said lip being so shaped that the mouth of a standard sack of cigarette tobacco may be secured therearound; an eduction tube in said plunger passage, said tube having an outer diameter somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the paper tube for enclosing the desired cigarette, said eduction tube connecting one end 0f said plunger passage with said receptacle, and one end of said eduction tube projecting into said plunger passage, there being two primary ringer openings in said body at either side of said eduction tube so placed that the paper tube for enclosing the desired cigarette can be held in place over the eduction tube by the fingers of the user; a plunger sliding freely in and out of said plunger passage, said plunger having a diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the paper tube which WilI enclose the desired cigarette, there being secondary finger openings in said body so placed that the iingers of the user may grasp said paper tube as it surrounds said plunger and force i1; over the projecting end of said eduction tube; and a rammer sliding in said rammer passage and of suilicient length to force tobacco out 0f said receptacle and through said eduction tube into said paper tube.

BRUCE BURNS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 961,118 Gillette June 14, 1910 345,415 Decoufle July 13, 1886 1,905,652 Sabourin Apr. 25, 1933 1,929,581 Green Oct 10, 1933 

